Opinion

By: Dr. Don Kuehle At various times and places we stand with others and pledge our allegiance to our nation’s flag: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” No matter how

By: Frank Burkett The Robb Elementary school massacre at Uvalde, TX happened just days ago, and my heart is sickened that someone would do such a thing as this. Mass shootings happen at schools, but it happens at other venues frequently, these days. At Robb Elementary School, nineteen seven and eight year old boys and

To Advance Health Equity, Disrupt the Prescription Drug Market By Amy Hinojosa Hispanic Americans are the least insured racial or ethnic group in the United States. Roughly 20% don’t have health coverage. That’s compared to just 6% of the non-Hispanic white population. As a leader in the Latina community, I’m calling on my fellow Americans

Blessed but distracted By: Jane Rutter The text alert on my phone is dinging, I hear the TV in the family room and a Jeep without a muffler is roaring down the road. Shutting off the noise around me and zeroing into God’s presence is not an easy task. We’re well into this joyful Easter

Ask Rusty – Must I Pay Income Tax on Social Security Benefits? Dear Rusty: I do not recall the rules on my income tax obligation for Social Security benefits. Can you please explain these rules to me? Signed: Senior Taxpayer Dear Senior Taxpayer:  I’ll be happy to review the rules about income tax on Social

By: Travis Naughton I began writing for the Boone County Journal in the summer of 2011. By my estimation, I’ve had over 500 original submissions published in the newspaper in that span of time. At roughly 700 words per piece, the total body of my work for the Journal amounts to around 350,000 words, the

Ask Rusty – Will My Husband’s Benefits Continue After He Dies? Dear Rusty: My husband is 65 and I am 55. He has recently been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. My question is, will I continue receiving his full social security check every month after his passing? Will the amount decrease? Signed: Tearful Wife Dear

By: Frank Burkett How could a country like ours go from energy independence to scrounging and begging some of our foes for oil, in less than two years? When Barrack Obama was president, fossil fuel was in his cross-hairs for elimination. His protégé, Joe Biden, is dutifully carrying out his bosses orders. Joe Biden was

Ask Rusty – Will Paying the IRS Quarterly Increase My Social Security? Dear Rusty: I waited to sign up for Social Security until I turned 70 last month so I would qualify for the maximum benefit. I have been the pastor of a small church for the last 15 years & they didn’t take out

By: Travis Naughton Former Boone County Journal publisher Bruce Wallace, a good friend of mine, just called a minute ago to catch up and to make sure I’m doing okay. It was great to hear a friendly voice, and it was down right medicinal to laugh out loud as we swapped stories. His was the